The Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) along with 13 other organizations sent a letter to members of Congress urging them to consider the potential consequences for the unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) industry if the legislation was enacted affecting the federal sovereignty of the airspace. The letter was signed by a diverse group of organizations, industries and companies that represent UAS manufacturers, commercial and recreational users, and aviation stakeholders.

I was recently hired to produce a video for the Sedona show for This Is My Brave, a thriving new nonprofit with a vital mission: to end the stigma surrounding mental health issues by sharing personal stories of individuals living successful, full lives despite mental illness through poetry, essay and original music, on stage in front of a live audience, and through stories published online. “Through the sharing of stories and experiences of those in recovery, we provide a sense of community and hope; and encourage others to share their stories. We believe that each time one of us shares our story, there’s another crack helping to break down the stigma surrounding mental illness. Right now, it’s time to #LiveBrave, stand up with us to say #isharemystory and help us bring mental health issues into the spotlight because they’ve been in the dark too long.” To learn more visit www.thisismybrave.org.

News media brands experienced a stark change in brand equity post-election, according to new research from The Harris Poll. Conservative support for TV News and News Services – including Fox News – declined across the board in the wake of “fake news.” Liberal-leaning consumers boosted support for The New York Times and CNN, while their support of Fox News declined sharply. [Read more…]

I was part of a group of local FAA licensed drone pilots who rallied in Laguna Beach in response to a proposed city ordinance that would ban drone flights and require a special permit for drone filming and photography within city limits. The group successfully convinced the City Council to compromise by delaying the new rules and creating a committee of commercial drone operators to assist with updating the drafted ordinance. I’m very pleased that the City Council listened to our concerns and is engaging the commercial operators in an advisory role. I am also grateful to the Law Firm of Anderson, McPharlin & Conners and its attorney D. Damon Willens for the research and information he has provided regarding the matter.

As the ‘doers’ become ‘deciders,’ they also don’t expect to encounter ethical issues on the job, Baylor researcher says

Millennials who are pursuing careers in public relations do not feel prepared to offer advice on ethics to their companies — and in fact, they do not expect to face ethical dilemmas at work, according to a Baylor University study.

On Saturday, February 4, Laguna Art Museum’s annual Art Auction fundraiser with works by over 100 California artists reached sales of over $366,000 [see my video story from the event above]. Proceeds from the event benefit the museum’s exhibitions and education programs. The highlight of the evening was the much anticipated live auction led by Aaron Bastian of Bonhams. The museum once again partnered with Paddle8, the leading online auction house, and absentee bids from near and far added a further element of excitement to the competitive bidding.

The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and The Lenfest Institute for Journalism today announced $4.8 million in new funding to expand a project that helps advance digital transformation at local news organizations across the country.

In October 2015, with support from Knight Foundation, Temple University’s School of Media and Communication announced the Knight-Temple Table Stakes project designed to help four major metropolitan daily news organizations accelerate a shift to digital from print, evolving their practices to reach new audiences and better engage their readers and their communities. The project involved the development and application of the technology, workflows, roles and skills required to sustain a successful news digital organization. More than 50 leaders from four leading news organizations—The Dallas Morning News; the Miami Herald; the Minneapolis Star Tribune; and Philadelphia Media Network, which is home to The Philadelphia Inquirer, the Philadelphia Daily News and Philly.com—spent a year focused on creating approaches to advance digital transformation.

Building on strong early results, the initiative is being expanded under a new name, the Knight-Lenfest Newsroom Initiative, signaling the introduction of a new leadership partner, The Lenfest Institute for Journalism, based in Philadelphia. Knight Foundation is committing $3.3 million, adding to its $1.3 million in previous support. The Lenfest Institute for Journalism is investing $1.5 million. [Read more…]

Facebook announced a new partnership program with local community organizations, committing $20 million toward affordable housing, job training, and legal services available to more people in the area surrounding its Silicon Valley headquarters. The effort involves groups such as Youth United for Community Action, Faith in Action Bay Area, Community Legal Services in East Palo Alto, and Comité de Vecinos del Lado Oeste — East Palo Alto, along with the local governments of East Palo Alto and Menlo Park.

The Pew Research Center has released an intriguing new study that finds local voters and those who feel attached to their communities stand out, and how they stay informed via local news organizations plays a key role in their community life.

The study, in association with the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation reveals that “overall, the civically engaged are indeed more likely than the less engaged to use and value local news. But two particular aspects of civic engagement stand out as most closely associated with local news habits: a strong connection to one’s community and always voting in local elections. Americans with one of these two attributes, the study finds, consistently display stronger local news habits across a range of measures: news interest, news intake (the number and types of sources they turn to) and news attitudes – their views of local news organizations. [Read more…]

A screen shot of one of the misleading television ads [Source: YouTube]

Marketers can learn a valuable lesson from Liberty Mutual Insurance today, but it’s one that is hopefully taught in most Marketing 101 classes: review your advertisements for all regulatory compliance or it could cost you big time. In Liberty Mutual’s case it’s to the tune of $925,00 in penalties in California, not to mention the very real damage to its reputation and brand.

The Riverside County District Attorney’s office announced today in a press release that a consumer protection lawsuit against the Boston-based insurance company has resulted in a settlement. The civil complaint alleges violation of California’s false advertising laws by failing to disclose to consumers in the ads that “accident forgiveness” was in fact not available in the state yet countless advertisements had been running in California for over two years. State law requires that all advertising must clearly and conspicuously disclose any material facts that viewers need to avoid being misled. It is alleged in a complaint filed in the case that the disclaimers in the Liberty Mutual ads were unlawful because these ads could convey “an overall impression that California consumers would receive this benefit as part of Liberty Mutual car insurance,” which was not true.

A headline in the WJS this week piqued my curiosity. “McDonald’s Turns to Social Media to Draw Millennials: Fast-food chain recently hired 200 people to bolster its digital efforts and win back young adults.” Julie Jargon writes that McDonald’s is beefing up its corporate digital marketing team in hopes that this fresh team of 20-something’s will revitalize slumping sales among younger consumers with their magic social media wands. I found no press release regarding the digital hiring boom but clearly this article was pitched by a P.R. firm to garner coverage implying that this new endeavor is going to help McDonald’s get a bigger bite from the Millennial market.

How is it that, in 2016, one of the world’s largest and most valuable brands is just now realizing the importance of a strong digital team? This pivot by McDonald’s represents a prime example of ineffective corporate culture that Unilever CMO Keith Weed calls a generation of marketers leading business today who are bluffing about their knowledge of the digital landscape. Maybe that’s a reason why, at the same time the company is on-boarding Millennials in droves, a number of senior executives are leaving.

The OC Auto Show was held at the Anaheim Convention Center and I spent the day filming at the event on Saturday. Here’s a short montage of some of the footage – the exhibitors amazed me, especially Jeep and Ford. Don’t miss this event next year!

Some real estate eye candy for you from Laguna Beach, California – check out the video tour I filmed of this luxury rental available for lease. Who wouldn’t want to live at this place? 2419 S. Coast Highway in Laguna Beach.

For more info: http://idx.mobilerealtyapps.com/crmlsapp/crmls/LG16134626

It was a pleasure to work with reporter Laurie Perez on this feature for CBS News in Los Angeles. Laurie visited the Brandman University Southern California commencement ceremony because of a graduate from the Santa Maria campus. Monica Careyette went from rock bottom to college graduate, and shared her deeply personal story as the student speaker, with the compassionate judge who changed her life by her side. The single mom overcame addiction to thrive and turn her life around.

From prison to purpose: Joe Blackburn proves it’s never too late in life.

Statistically speaking, Joe Blackburn probably shouldn’t be here talking to me on this spring afternoon in Santa Clarita, Calif. But, as he’s proven through an unwavering commitment to finishing a bachelor’s degree at Brandman University, he is determined not to be just another statistic.

Monica Careyette rose from the depths of addiction and got her life back on track thanks to a compassionate judge. It has not been easy for the single mother who works full time, but in May she’ll be realizing the dream of a bachelor’s degree in sociology from nonprofit Brandman University. This is her story.

The new grant funds the Edith Kinney Gaylord News Innovation Initiative at the Cronkite School. The program will serve as the innovation hub for Cronkite News at Arizona PBS, a multiplatform daily news division operated by the Cronkite School with 15 full-time editor/professors and more than 120 ASU students who produce daily news content on TV and digital platforms for Arizona audiences.

We set up a camera in the lobby at the Brandman University central administration building in Irvine and asked students, faculty and staff “what do you love about Brandman” for this special video in celebration of Valentine’s Day.

Recommendations

“Joe is one of the best PR professionals in the business. He knows just what to do, who to call, and how to make things happen. His ability to connect and be on point is one of the traits that differentiates him from others. Joe’s creativity combined with his empathy and intelligence make him one of a kind.”